But if a child doesn't really have it, then yes, I do think it's a negative thing. No matter what the diagnosis or disorder, it's not a good thing to be labeled with it if you don't actually have it. Obviously if they do have it, then any supports/therapies they can get will be helpful and the younger they are started, the better. And even if a child doesn't really have autism, the supports/therapies MAY be helpful, but the child should be given supports/therapies which are validated by research for the actual disorder that they DO have whenever possible. So if a child really has an expressive language delay, being put into ABA therapy probably isn't going to be helpful and may be harmful. The problem arises when an early diagnosis is given, everyone assumes it is correct, and then it is not reconsidered later on as new evidence arises.
At the risk of incurring some flames, I gotta agree with this. Once you have an erroneous "label" at least where I am... Everything is viewed through that lens. Even normal behavior is often considered 'pathological' to support the lens. I have seen first-hand and experienced to certain extent what Blackcat cautions about. I do think autism (and ADHD) are dx here VERY EASIIY and I think a lot of learning disorders and anxiety resulting from un-dx learning disorders (like dyslexia, dysgraphia) go completely undiagnosed b/c they are much to quick 'slap' on a misdiagnoses of autism or adhd here. I could be totally wrong but it feels scary that way here. That's why I am really trying hard to get an OBJECTIVE look at my kid. If I were easier going, less intelligent or too busy to bother (or if I desired it), my kid would have PDD-NOS and ADHD dx, no problem. He would have had them years ago. He would never have been look at dysgraphia nor would he have been looked at for EDS. Now I have friends in other states who have children they truly do believe have some type of ASD and they have trouble getting the Dx (though all three did get it eventually). So maybe it is a geographical thing.
